Container construction



Dec. 14, 1954 M. STEVENS CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed June 16, 1952 United States Patent ice CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Louis M. Stevens, Bridgeton, N. J., assignor to Camden Bag and Paper Company, Camden, N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 16, 1952, Serial No. 293,825

1 Claim. (Cl. 229-43) usual type of filling machines and a separate pouring spout adjacent one edge of the upper surface.

Cardboard milk containers presently in use may not be 1 filled by the usual type filling machines used for filling glass containers without making substantial alterations in the filling machines since the standard filling machines have a fixed spout which is inserted into the neck of each bottle. In addition, when converting to the use of presently existing cardboard containers the production line used for filling and capping the containers must be altered substantially. These above mentioned features practically prohibit a small company from converting to the use of cardboard milk containers and taking advantage of the many benefits accrued by the use of such containers.

With the foregoing in mind the principal object of the present invention is to provide a paperboard or cardboard container for liquids which may be filled by presently existing filling machines used for supplying liquid to glass bottles without the necessity of making any alterations in the filling machines.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel paper or cardboard container for liquids having a central opening in the upper surface thereof which may be used for filling the container and a separate'pouring spout near the edge of the upper surface having its own individual closure means to facilitate dispensing of liquids from the container.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel paperboard container which may be manufactured easily and cheaply and is entirely efficient and effective in operation and use.

These and other objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the operation and construction thereof are hereinafter more fully set forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view partially broken away illustrating a paperboard container made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of the container of the present invention illustrating the construction of the pouring spout and method of use;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44, Fig. 2 illustrating the construction of the end closure for the container and the method of mounting the same on the container body;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5, Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6, Fig. 1; and I Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating the method of securing the container end closure to the body portion.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates generally a container for liqu ds which comprises a paperboard or cardboard body portion 11, a preformed end closure 12 adapted to close the upper surface of the body portion 11, a cap member 13 and an outer paper sleeve or cover .14 adapted to be positioned 2,696,943 Patented Dec. 14, 1954 about the body portion on which the manufacturers name or advertising. material may be printed.

The body portion 11 has a generally rectangular crosssectional configuration and comprises four side walls 15, 16, 17 and 18 and a base 19 cut or stamped from a single sheet of waxed waterproof paperboard. An inwardly extending flange 21 is provided at one edge of the side wall 18 and is adapted to inwardly overlie the adjacent side wall 15 and be secured thereto. In addition, upwardly extending flanges 22 are provided about the three edges of the base 19 and are securely bonded to lower edges of the side walls 15, 17 and 18 to form a waterproof seal between the base member and the side walls.

In accordance with the present invention the end closure 12 is constructed of a thin sheet of pliable material, preferably sheet aluminum, and is preformed prior to assembling the container. The preformed end closure 12 comprises a rectangular central body portion 24 terminating at its outer periphery in an edge portion which extends upwardly perpendicular to the central portion, the edge portion is reversely bent upon itself in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4 to provide an inverted U-shaped flange 25 about the periphery of the end closure adapted to receive the upper edges of the body portion 11, as more fully described hereinafter. In addition, there is provided a raised portion 26 centrally of the closure element which has a generally circular opening 27 therein through which the liquid contents are deposited in the container by means of a usual filling spout (not shown). A downwardly depending flange portion 28 which terminates in an inwardly extending ledge 29 is provided in the raised portion 26 about the opening 27 to receive the cap 13. By this construction it will be seen that a container manufactured in this manner may be filled by the same filling and capping machine presently in use for filling glass containers.

The raised portion 26 extends outwardly from the opening 27 to one edge of the closure element and means are provided therein to permit the formation of a pouring spout 31 when it is desired to dispense the liquid contents from the container. To accomplish this, the upper surface of the portion 26 is scored along an arcuate line 32 adjacent the outer edge ofthe end closure element. In

addition, the surface 26 is scored along three converging lines 33 which extend from the midpoint and outer extremities of the scored line 32 and converge at a point centrally of the surface 26, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A short scored line 34 is provided at the junction of the lines 33 perpendicular to the central one of the three lines. The surface 26 is perforated as indicated at 35, 35 along lines which connect the extremities of the line 34 with the outer ends of the arcuate scored line 32 to permit the surface 26 to be torn during theformation of the pouring spout 31. In order to form the pouring spout 31 a sharp edge is inserted through the surface 26 on the line 34. The surface is then torn along the perforated lines 35, 35 and bent or creased along the lines 32 and 33 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 thereby forming the pouring spout 31.

To manufacture a container made in accordance with the present invention, the body portion 11 is first cut and bent in the fashion illustrated in Fig. 2 and the side wall flap 21 and base flaps 22 are secured to the side walls, for example, by applying heat and pressure to the flaps and adjacent sidewalls thereby using the two thicknesses of wax impregnated paperboard to each other. The wrapper or cover 14 is then placed around the container body and securely fastened thereto in any suitable manner.

Upon completion of this operation, the preformed end closure 12 is positioned over the open upper surface of the container body with the flange 25 embracing the side walls of the container as shown in Fig. 4. The preformed end closure is then secured to the container body by crimping the flange 25 as indicated at 36. The portion of the side wall 15 adjacent the raised surface 26 which is not embraced by a portion of the flange is secured to the preformed endclosure by perforating the edge of the.

end closure adjacent the raised surface as indicated at 37, after the end closure is placed on the container body thereby interlocking the end closure with the wall of the container body as shown in Fig. 5.

3 .Upon completion of .the. assemblingoperation of. t e container, the container is filled by inserting the usual filling spout into the opening 27 and, after withdrawal of the spout, the cap 13. is placed on the flange. 29 over the opening 27 thereby sealing the container.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel paperboard liquid container which may be filled by presently existing filling machines used for supplying liquids to glass bottles Without the necessity of making any alterations in the filling machine. In addition, the present invention provides a novel paperboard container having a central opening in the upper surface for filling purposes and a separatefpouring spout adjacent one edge of the upper surface to facilitate dis,- pensing of liquids from the container.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein it is not intended to limit the invention to such a disclosure and changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodieldtherein withinthe scope. of the following claim.

P. 0 arm:

In a container for liquids comprising a generally rectangular paperboard body portion having an open upper end, a preformed end closure of pliable sheet material adapted to close the open upper end of the body portion,

said end closure comprising a flat upper surface positioned interiorly of the upper ends of the side walls of the container body, a raised portion centrally of said upper surface and extending outwardly therefrom to one edge of the end closure, a downwardly depending flange centrally of the raised portion terminatmg in an inwardly extending ledge defining an opening in said end closure through which the liquid contents may be deposited into the container, a cap member adapted to seat on said inwardly extending ledge and Seal said opening, an'arcuate' scored line on the raised portion adjacent said one edge of the end closure, a plurality of scored lines converging from the midpoint and ends of said arcuate scored line to a point inwardly of said arcuate line, said raised portion being perforated along lines connecting the junction of said plurality of scored lines with the opposite ends of the arcuate scored line to permit the formation of a pouring spout by tearing said raised portion along said perforated lines and bending the same upwardly along said arcuate scored line, an inverted flange portion about the periphery of said end closure adapted to embrace the upper ends of the side walls of the container body, said flange being crimped to secure it to the container body, and inwardly displaced portions on the edge of the flange adjacent said raised portion in engagement with the container body to fasten the same thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,657,325 Suttle Jan. 24, 1928 2,125,417 Baker Aug. 2, 1938 2,138,699 Hinze Nov. 29, 1938 2,139,626 Sidebotham Dec. 6, 1938 2,146,988 Roach et al. Feb. 14, 1939 2,347,417 Kraft Apr. 25, 1944 2,475,677 Ringler July 12, 1949 2,583,211 Fleming Jan. 22, 1952 2,593,019 Glaser Apr. 15., 1952 2,617,563 Miller Nov. 11, 1952 

